About this edition
Composed in the summer of 1788 as the first of Mozart's miraculous final trilogy of symphonies, Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K.543, opens with one of the most arresting slow introductions in the classical repertoire — a grand Adagio of dotted rhythms and chromatic descents that gives way to a buoyant Allegro of unusual lyrical warmth. Notable for its omission of oboes in favor of paired clarinets, the work possesses a distinctive woodwind sonority, culminating in the famous monothematic finale whose single, mercurial idea Mozart spins into a movement of breathtaking economy and wit.
This score reproduces the text from the celebrated Mozart-Gesamtausgabe — Mozarts Werke, Serie VIII (Symphonien), Band 3, No. 39, pp. 137–180 — published in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1880, bearing plate number W.A.M. 543. Prepared by an editorial committee that included Johannes Brahms, Joseph Joachim, and other distinguished musicians and scholars of the era, this first complete critical edition of Mozart's works set the standard for nineteenth-century scholarship and remained the principal source for performers and researchers for generations. Its clean engraving, careful textual judgment, and historical authority continue to make it a valuable reference today.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral conductor's score
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Source: Reproduced from the 1880 Breitkopf & Härtel Mozarts Werke edition (public domain)
- Contents: Complete score of Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K.543, in four movements
- Instrumentation: Flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing
This volume is a faithful reprint of a historical edition that has long since entered the public domain, lovingly prepared so that conductors, orchestral players, students, and scholars can hold a piece of Mozart's enduring legacy in their own library. We hope it serves you well in study, rehearsal, and performance.
